Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing a condensed polysaccharide. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for producing a condensed polysaccharide useful for a wide range of food products by subjecting one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of glucose, mannose, galactose, xylose and arabinose as starting material to dehydration condensation under reduced pressure in the presence of a very small amount of hydrogen chloride as a catalyst. The condensed polysaccharide obtained by the present invention is tasteless or slightly sweet, white or slightly yellow and odorless, and its aqueous solution shows pH 4-6 at 10% by weight, since the hydrogen chloride catalyst is eventually removed from the system under reduced pressure during the reaction. Further, the product is stable within a wide pH range and under heat or in the presence of various decomposing enzymes concerned with digestion in a living body. Therefore, when it is used as a substitute for e.g. sugar in general food products, it is possible to prepare inexpensive low calorie food products.